Caged Freedom
by lynxlai
Summary: You will be willing to be caged for me?" "no, not for you, with you......." Neji x Tenten, my first fanfic!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I did not, do not and will not own Naruto, whether in this life or the next.**

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**Caged Freedom**

**Chapter 1: Flashback**

He stared into the mirror. It was, as yet, still dawn. Little sparks of imp's fire were splattered all across the sky, courtesy of the Sun. Soon, they would be gone, enveloped by the all encompassing sun but for now, they glowed in all their tiny pink glory, trying, and succeeding, to enjoy the little bit of time they were entitled to. The morning dew glistened a little on the neat, trimmed lawn, reflecting as one, the darkness of the night before and the light of a new day, all in all, a very enchanting colour.

This spectacular scene, Nature laid in vain before the eyes of a boy. His pale white eyes glistened out at him from the mirror, returning his calm and controlled gaze. There he was, all ready for practise, yet……

Slowly, albeit hesitantly, he raised his hands and undid the hitai-ate that covered his forehead. He placed them gently on the floor beside him, now completely revealing the thing upon his forehead. His jaw tensed and a look of unknown hurt glazed Hyuuga Neji's famed Byakugan. It didn't take much for one to notice that he hated the mark that had been branded on him 12 years ago. Hated it as he had never hated anything before. His stoic face crumpled ever so slightly as his control slipped, colouring his handsome face with a multitude of emotions. Regardless, the unrelenting mirror reflected that mark, still as green as the day it had been branded upon him, a well defined cross that stained his forehead. A cross that trapped him for life.

_**Flashback: **_

"_How much is this?"_

"_1000-ryo"_

Neji watched, his eyebrows arched into a quizzical bow, just beneath the hitai-ate that covered the sign upon his forehead. The silence grew as Tenten slowly, albeit hesitantly, took out a small, dainty little pouch from the folds of her shirt. The pouch was exquisite, silvery white with a finely embroidered golden dragon upon its side. As Tenten's slender fingers stretched and dug a hole into the small little pouch, Neji watched, his famed Byakugan clouded in frustration and anger. _'Stupid Tenten'_, he thought. _'This deal is way too much. How can she even go through with this?!'_ Regardless, he made no move to stop her as her small, smooth brown hand gently closed upon a large wad of money.

"_Here you go! 1000-ryo."  
_

The merchant's piggy little eyes widened and literally glowed at the holy appearance of the money. His genuine, albeit leering, smile got even wider, a row of yellow, rotten teeth now completely visible from beneath his thick, puffy lips. His breath then staged a grand entrance as they came out in puffs, completely and utterly destroying the sweet smell of the morning dew and forests flowers that were wafting their way. His hand involuntarily twitched as he watched the money edge slowly but surely towards him. Then, as Tenten's hand neared his own, as if unable to contain the impulse, he bridged the gap between hand and money and snatched Tenten's money from her hands. As he fingered the money gleefully between his thumb and index finger, he shoved a cage at Tenten and before she could utter another word, he had already packed up his things and ran with a **very** youthful speed such that even Rock Lee couldn't match.

Neji's gaze had shifted ever so slightly from his team mate to the thing she was holding. In the cage, was a bird. Such a bird as was never seen before on the surface of this earth. It resembled a phoenix, with a long sweeping tail, intelligent beady eyes and an arched, proud head. However, while phoenixes were covered in bright and golden feathers, this bird was different. Its plumes were of a dazzling, beautiful, pure white, so much so that it seemed to give out an ethereal glow. It clicked its beak impatiently as its eyes stared listlessly out of the bars of its cage, towards the glow of the morning sky. Then, it opened its beak and let out a faint, low cry. Its voice was cracked, parched, yet, Neji could recognized something very familiar about it. Looking at the bird, he had immediately sensed something, an indispensable feeling of caged sadness, clinging to the bird like some kind of depressing fog, diminishing its beauty all at once. Its eyes followed the sparrow's flight towards spring, in perhaps another part of the world. It look at their wings as they flapped, up and down, up and down, such a simple motion that carried such meaning and care freeness, such a feeling of freedom such that it would never ever get to taste, whether in this life or the next. This was exactly how he felt 3 years ago, before that fated battle with Uzumaki Naruto during the Chuunin Exams, and still felt now, sometimes, when he sat in his room all alone, looking at the sign upon his forehead. The sign of bird with a caged bird. One that would never even get to dream of freedom, what more get to taste it.

Tenten stretched out her index finger and slowly pushed it into the cage from between the bars. She had not felt anything. The bird's previous cry had not affected her in any way. All she could see was that it was a very beautiful bird that she had just bought with 1000-ryo of her own hard-earned cash and had thus earned, at the very least, the very humane right of touching it. As her slender finger was just about to come in contact with the soft, white feathers atop the bird's head, suddenly, with one swift, fluid motion, like the one a snake uses to catch its prey, graceful, yet deadly, the bird snapped its head around and clamped its beak down on her hand.

"_Ouch! That hurt!"_

The next moment, the bird was lying limply in the cage, legs apart and head bent down towards the bottom of the cage. Its glassy eyes were now spiritless and lifeless. There was a dent upon the snow white feathers above the area where the bird's one-second-ago-still-beating-heart was. Neji quickly withdrew his fingers from the cage, both of them still glowing blue from the remnants of chakra from his attack. Slowly, he relaxed his stance and deactivated his Byakugan. Then, he turned tails and fled into the thicket that was, thankfully and very conveniently, located just behind the row of stalls, a small smirk on his face.

"_Hyuuga Neji! You had better Jyuuken out 1000-ryo in hard cash!__"_

_**Flashback End**_

The door slid open. Another Hyuuga walked noiselessly into the room and announced in a loud, formal, deep tone of voice, just exactly the kind that Neji knew and hated.

"_Lord Hiashi requests your immediate attendance at his chambers."_

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_This is my first fanfic. _

_So, please, please, please, please, With cherry and cream and cookie disease, **reviews!** _


	2. Chapter 2

Here it is, Chapter 2. And I actually spent like two weeks just rewriting this chapter. Hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

**Chapter 2**

* * *

"_Lord Hiashi requests your immediate attendance in his chambers."__**  
**_

* * *

His hand grasped the cool metal beside him. It was an immediate reaction, almost like a reflex, in response to the sudden presence of another in his room. He ran his fingers over the smooth surface of the metal, stopping occasionally to caress a kink or indent on it. His thumb moved to trace the little swivel, ending in a triangle, in the middle of it. The symbol of the leaf.

_**Flashback**_

"_Neji, the blood than runs in your veins, is thicker than that of many others in this clan."_

He was five that year. He had just been given the curse seal. He was still too young then. He had actually thought that the seal was a toy, a mere decoration to enhance the prestige of the Hyuuga clan.

His father rested a hand on his head. There was a quizzical smile on his face when he had said that. His father looked proud, yet, at the same time, kind of sad. Again, Neji was too young to comprehend.

"_Tou-san, are you okay? Why so sad, tou-san? Did I do something to anger you?"_

He put a tiny hand on his father's lap. He thought that it would help. Something about the hand of guidance and youth that he had heard of once before from this bushy-browed sensei at the Academy.

Instead, his father just looked more pained.

"_I'm fine Neji, don't you worry about me. Now, continue with your training."_

Hyuuga Hizashi turned and left his son alone in the grounds. If he had a choice, he'd break that hand that was resting so innocently on his lap. Actually, he'd break both, and for precaution, he'd add in Neji's legs as well.

'_**At least, that way, Hiashi can't get his hands on my son and harm him.'**_

Of course, Neji had no idea what his father was thinking.

_**Flashback end**_

* * *

He looked beyond the man towards the patch of sky, now a light shade of blue. Little tufts of clouds flanked that piece of sky. The wind blew lightly at it. It was obviously very happy at the sudden increase of play toys in its nursery.

He closed his eyes.

'_**Father, I have made use of my talent. I am now a Konoha shinobi and I live to serve the Hyuuga clan.'**_

'_**Father, I have used my talent for good, to protect my friends, my clan, my village, people who will inherit the will of fire after me……'**_

'_**Father, there were only seven birds, today. Something bad is about to happen. Lord Hiashi wants something from me……'**_

'_**What should I do, Father? Should I defy him, as you have?'**_

A gentle breeze blew in through the slightly opened door. The shadow of the man standing in front of it fell short of him by a few inches.

'_**I understand, Father.'**_

The floorboards creaked gently as he got up. Tying his hitai-ate, he was at the door in two determined strides.

* * *

"_Lord Hiashi, Hyuuga Neji has arrived."_

"_Good. You may leave."_

That voice. Harsh, cold and unrelenting. It was devoid of emotion, no happiness, no gratitude whatsoever. That a member of his family had gone in place of him to fetch his nephew, had not bothered him in the least. That was what was expected of a servant. They were born to obey, to serve and to protect him and the Main Branch of the clan. They were tools.

This was Hyuuga Hiashi. The perfect leader of the Hyuuga clan to come in generations. Also the man with a stone for a heart and a blizzard blowing in there. And coming from **the** Hyuuga Neji, that meant a lot. He shuddered to think that he was once like that.

"_Uncle."_

Lord Hiashi nodded at him to sit down. Dimly, he noticed that his cousins, Hinata and Hanabi were also in the room.

"_Neji, I need to request a little something from you."_

'_**Bingo! Now, what next?' **_

"_Now, I know that this might come as a bit of a shock to you. But it is your duty as a member of the Hyuuga clan-"_

Beside him, he could feel Hinata and Hanabi tense up. Frankly, he wasn't feeling very relaxed himself, either.

" _-this also involves Hinata and Hanabi-"_

Neji's brain had boiled down to a single word- **marriage**. He felt his demeanour slip and his control fall down and out of sight. For once, Hyuuga Neji acted on instinct.

"_Hiashi-sama, I don't think tha-"_

"_Neji, please be quiet. All I require from you is your __**consent**__ and your __**virginity**__."_

Neji was shocked.

'_**This is even worse that I thought……' **_

* * *

"_That is to say, my daughters require it."_

'_**I cannot believe that Hiashi-sama is ga-'**_

'_**Wait, that's not right……'**_

It was as if Hiashi had shovelled some ice onto his overheated brain. Neji took a deep calming breath. Slowly, he felt his control slipping back into him. One day, he would see that it got a good whipping for deserting him like that, but this was not the time. He rearranged his face back into its famed stoic features as he digested what his uncle had told him.

It was only then that the truth of everything his uncle had said hit him like a bullet train, face on.

Outside, seven birds were still flying in that exact same formation. Neji knew. His byakugan had accidentally been activated when he, umm, _misunderstood_, his uncle's shocking requirement. Something was definitely wrong. Why? _Because_, _the eighth bird was missing._

* * *

"_Hiashi-sama, I'm afraid that I cannot agree to be married to Hinata-sama or Hanabi-sama."_

_"..."_

"_Hiashi-sama?"_

_"..."_

"_Neji, please explain yourself. Why do you not wish to marry my daughters?"_

"_Because, Hiashi-sama, I am a shinobi. And as a shinobi, I have a right to choose and be free."_

_"..."_

"_Neji, please understand that I am doing this for the betterment of the clan. My daughters, either one of them, will one day inherit the Hyuuga clan. Their husbands, as such, will automatically become the leader of the clan. And, I wish for you to be the leader of the clan after me. "_

_"..."_

"_Thank you for trusting me, Hiashi-sama, but I'm afraid that I have to decline."_

"_Why? You have a lot of potential Neji. In fact, more than both my daughters have put together."_

_"..."_

"_No thanks, Hiashi-sama."_

"_Neji, you know that this is a very rare offer. In fact, it could be called once in a lifetime, should you so wish. I am giving you the chance to become part of the Main Branch of the Hyuuga Household an-"_

"_I know, Hiashi-sama, but I want my freedom."_

"_Hn."_

"_Think of it as a deal, Neji. I am prepared to buy from you your freedom. In exchange, you will have either one of my daughters, as well as the leadership of the Hyuuga clan some day. "_

Upon hearing that, Neji felt his blood boil, white hot.

'_**What did he just say?!'**_

"_Hiashi-sama, I am afraid that you are mistaken. Freedom cannot be bou-"_

"_Are you unhappy about the price I pay, Neji? If so, I am willing to throw in both my daughters into the deal. I will also remove your curse mark-"_

That did it.

* * *

"..."

"_I'll think about it, Hiashi-sama."_

A self-satisfied smirk spread itself across his face. He had done it. He had managed to rope his nephew into the deal. The deal that would last him a lifetime.

"_Thank you, Neji. I knew that you'd see sense sometime."_

"_May I leave now, Hiashi-sama?"_

"_Yes, you may. And tonight, I shall be sending Hinata to you. Don't worry. And should you find her unsatisfactory, I am sure that Hanabi will gladly take her place."_

Neji stood up and gave a stiff bow. His gaze travelled across the room to where his cousins were seated. Hinata was close to tears and her face registered the utmost horror and shock. No doubt she had expected him to decline and put up a fight. That was probably why she agreed so easily in the first place. She thought he would save her. Either that, or Hiashi had not told them about it in the first. Meanwhile, Hanabi was busy shooting him dirty glances.

Inside him, he felt his heart quivering and his resolve slipping.

**'_Tou-san_, a_m I doing the right thing?... For my freedom?... For Ten-' _**

Neji deliberately cut himself off. Now was not the time for a soft heart and a weak will......

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**_Reviews please. Tks!_**


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